Combined weed-cutter and cultivator.



No. 769,832. PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

v L. C. PRESTON. COMBINED WEED GUTTER AND CULTIVATOR.

MPLIOATION FILED 00128, 1901.

No MODEL.

t W-l /NUEA/TDFV EY' Ow @TTU/@NEX UNITED STATES Patented September 13,1904:.

PATENT OEEICE.

LEWIS'O. PRESTON, OF WESTON, OREGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,832, datedSeptember 13, 1904.

Application filed October 28, 1901. Serial No. 80,332. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS O. PRESTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Weston, in thel county of Umatilla and State of Oregon, haveinvented a new and useful Combined Weed-Cutter and Oultivator, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to agricultural implements, and particularly toimplements constructed to cultivate the soil and remove vegetable growththerefrom; and some ofthe objects of this invention are to provide animplement of this character which will loe simple and cheap inconstruction and at the same time efficient in operation. Y

Another object of the invention is to construct an implement in such amanner that the share or blade will travel through the soil with thenose or point and the heels or ends in the same plane and the heelsprevented from rising and the edges of the blade slanting outwardly anddownwardly to facilitate the action of the blade.

It is also an object of this invention to construct the blade or sharequite broad where the same is subjected to the most wear and to supportand brace the same respectively upon an extension and against a shoulderor shoulders of the beam. Y.

Another object of the invention is to construct an implement to depressand hold down the vegetable growth until the blades or shares shall havepassed therebeyond, which part of the implement will be operated by thepassage over or through the soil.

Furthermore, an object of this invention .is to provide an implementwherein the operative parts may be elevated at any angle and retained inthat position during the transportation of the implement and the planeof operation thereof can be readily varied.

A further object is to provide a skeleton runner constructed of a singlepiece of metal in order to afford lightness and ease of draft.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists,essentially, in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,substantially as more fully described in the following specification,and illustrated in the laccompanying drawings, forming part of thisapplication, in which Figure l is a perspective view of an implementconstructed 1n accordance with my 1nvention, showing'part of the secondsection of theimplement broken away, as well as the draft devices. Fig.2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the implement, illustratingthe position ofthe operative parts when elevated for transportation; andFig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the adjustable connection employed.

.. Similar characters of reference designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

The drawings illustrate one complete section ofthe implement, togetherwith a portion of another section similar in construction to that-completely illustrated, said sections being shown connected by myimproved coupling, which may unite any preferred number of sections; andit will be understood that the invention is not limited to the number ofsections employed, as only one section will be specifically describedherein.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character 1 designates asliding portion or runner, preferably constructed in skeleton form andof a single piece of metal, the part 2 whereof is formed with itswidestportion to travel upon the soil or surface over which the implement isdrawn, and the part 3 of the runner is desirably formed so that thewidest portion thereof will lie in a vertical plane or in a plane atright angles to the width of the part 2, said parts preferably extendingparallel to each other, substantially as illustrated in the drawings.

By preference the parts or members 2 and 3 of the runner are vconnectedby a post or rod 4f to retain the parts of the runner in a desiredposition, and brace rods or bars 5 and 6 may pass through the member orpart 3 of the runners to unite any number thereof (preferably three)together, and the bar 6 may pass through one end of the posts 4,substantially in the manner illustrated.

The part 3 of the runner is preferably slotted transversely,substantially as illustrated at 7 in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and thispart is de- IOO which are preferably provided with similar serrations orgrooves 10, may be adjustably connected with the runners by means of abolt or other device 11, whereby the beams may be elevated into'theposition shown in Fig. 2 for transportation or into any other angle inrelation to the runners, and the depth of the shares or blades 12carried by said beam can be regulated by changing the engagement of thebeam in the longitudinal grooves of the runner.

The beams 9 are preferably curved or bowed, as shown at 13, and theextremity is cut away and inclined laterally and forwardly, as at 14,Fig. 1, and shoulders 15 are formed upon the curved portion of the beamto receive and support the blades 12, which are preferably inclineddownwardly, from their attachment to rthe beam, substantially asillustrated in Fig. 2

of the drawings. By means of this construction the center of the sharesor blades are preferably concaved at the attachment with the point 14 ofthe beams, and the outer edges of the blades are depressed and the inneredges thereof are elevated; also, the heels or large ends of the bladesare desirably inclined downwardly or depressed slightly.

In order to afford additional vrigidity to the beam 9, diagonal orcurved braces 16 may be employed and may be secured. by rivets or bolts17, to the beams, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, whereby the beams and shares or blades are retained in properrelative position and are prevented f from being deflected during thepassage of the blade through the soil. However, these braces may beomitted, if desired. i

A draft device may be employed, preferably consisting of a tubular bar18, which may be connected with every runner or with every alternatevrunner by means of links 19, and rods 2O may be connected with thedraft-bar and with a ring or other device 34 to afford connection with aspreader or doubletree in the usual manner to provide for the attachmentof the draft-animals, as will be readily understood, and by constructingthe draft-bar 18 in the manner described great strength will be combinedwith lightness.

Plates or bars 21 may be movably connected with the part 3 of therunners by a bolt or other device 22, whereby the plates or bars 21 maybe moved into any position in relation to the runners-as, for instance,into the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, which is the onefound preferable during the transportation of the implement-and saidbars are desirably bent slightly, as shown, and are provided withbearings 23 to receive revoluble shafts 24 and 25, preferably carryinghubs 26, supporting arms or blades 27, preferably constructed withattened or iiared extremities, substantially as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. By means of this construction the arms or blades 27 aremovable collectively by the elevation or depression of the plates orbars 21, and when in operative position the extremities of the arms orblades 27 rest upon the soil over which the implement is being drawn andthey are rotated' by contact therewith, the function of said arms beingto hold down or depress weeds, stubble, or other vegetable growth whilethe blades pass therebeyond and to prevent the choking of the blades orshares thereby, which action is facilitated by the curved portions ofthe beams, which decreases the liabilit5T of the implement to becomechoked.

When it is desired to connect two sections of the implement, the outsiderunner of each section is preferably provided with a guideway orcylindrical extension 28, having a slot 29, and slidably mounted withinsaid eXtension is a bar or rod 30, carrying an arm 31, moving in saidslot, and the free end of the arms 31 are preferably pivotallyconnected, as shown at 32 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and by means ofthis construction one section of the implement may be moved in advanceof the other without changing the course or impairing the eiiiciency ofthe implement, .as the bar or rod 30 will slide toward the forward endof the slot 29 of the section in the rear, substantially as indicated inFig. 1 of the drawings, while the bar or rod 31 upon the oppositesection will approach the rear end of the slot 29 of that section, andat the same time said bars or rods will articulate in respect to eachother to further accommodate the different sections.

This invention may be embodied in several sections, and thedraft-animals attached to one section may be driven faster than those ofthe other sections, which would result in the twisting or irregularityin the course of the implement and the impairment of the operationthereof; but by means of the improved coupling just described onesection may be drawn more rapidly than the other without changing thecourse of the implement orI lessening its efiiciency, as will be readilyunderstood.

The arms or blades may be of any preferred construction and arepreferably mounted one on each side of the beams 9, substantially asillustrated in Fig. 1, wherein the beams are shown of different lengthsand the shares or blades 12 are illustrated in different longitudinaland transverse planes in relation to the implement or in staggeredorder, and the blades may be secured lupon the beams by bolts or otherdevices 33 in the usual manner.

The operation of the invention will be readily understood from theforegoing description, when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and the following eX- planation thereof.

When it is desired to transport the implement to the field of operation,the operative parts are preferably raised into the position shown inFig. 2, so that only the runners rest upon and are in contact with thesoil; but

IOO

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when the implement is desired to be operated said parts will be loweredinto the position shown in Fig. l, whereupon as the implement is drawnover the soil the rotary arms or blades 27 will depress and hold downthe weeds and other growth, so that the same can be prevented fromchoking the blades or shares l2 or from becoming entangled with thecurved portion of the beams 9, it being understood that said arms orblades are rotated by contact with the surface over which the implementis being drawn, and the action of the blades or shares 12 is to reduceor pulverize the clods or upper portion of the soil, so that the samewill be reduced to a fine condition, and thereby better retain themoisture.

This invention is not limited to the specific construction, combination,and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, and all changes inand modifications of the same as come within the spirit and scope of theinvention are retained.

I claim- 1. An agricultural implement provided with skeleton runnersconstructed of a single piece of material bent upon itself and twistedparallel portions having the width thereof extending at right angles toeach other and blades connected with said twisted portion of saidrunners.

2. An agricultural implement provided with skeleton runners constructedof a single piece of material bent upon itself and twisted so that thewidth of the parallel portions extend at right angles to each other, theend of the upper portion of each of said runners being serrated andblades having beams provided with serrated portions constructed tomovably engage with the like portions of said runners and means forretaining said blades and runners at any angle in relation to eachother.

3. An agricultural implement provided with skeleton runners, postsbetween the parts of the runners, bars connecting the runners, beamsadjustably attached to the runners, blades carried by said beams, barsbetween the beams, plates, bearings thereon,shafts mounted in saidbearings, and hubs on said shafts carrying arms constructed to berotated by contact with the surface over which the implement is drawn.

4. An agricultural implement provided with skeleton runners, postsbetween the parts of the runners, bars connecting the' runners, curvedbeams adjustably attached to the runners, blades carried by said beams,bars between lthe beamplates, bearings thereon, shafts mounted on saidbearings, hubs on said shafts carrying arms constructed to be rotated bycontact with the surface over which the implement is drawn and a tubulardraft-bar connected with said runners.

5. An agricultural implement provided with a supporting portion dividedinto sections having a guideway constructed with a slot, a bar mountedin said guideway of each section carrying an arm passing through saidslot, said arms being pivotally connected to permit one section to beadvanced or retreated.

6. An agricultural implement provided with sections of runners, aslotted guideway for each section, a bar mounted in each guidewaycarrying an arm working in the slot thereof, and movable connectionbetween said arms to permit the movement of said sections in relation toeach other.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS C. PRESTON.

